About Westlane

Westlane Scondary School occupies a 15 acre portion of the former Pitton Farm on Lundy's Lane at Kalar Road. Its name derives from its position at the West end of Lundy's Lane. It serves the South West end of the former township of Stamford, the Town of Chippawa and the Township of Willoghby. Westlane developed to its present capacity of 1300 students in three stages.

The original structure built to accommodate 720 pupils, consisted of eleven regular classrooms, library, art, music, commercial, three science rooms, two home economics rooms and seven shops. There was no auditorium but a stage was constructed which could be used either from the gymnasium or the cafeteria.

Plans were approved on April 15 , 1959 and the contract for $1,295,000 was let to R. Timms Construction of Welland. Construction was to be completed by September 1960. During the 1961-1962 school year a building programme was undertaken at Stamford C. I. and from November 25, 1961 to June 1962 Westlane operated as the home of both Stamford C. I. and Westlane Secondary School staff and students. From 8:25 to 12:45 it was Stamford and from 1:00 to 5:45 it was Westlane.

In February 1963 the first addition, consisting of eight classrooms and a science room on the south side and four shops on the east side, was completed. This construction by Bignucola Construction raised the overall capacity to 1,020.

In 1964 four portable classrooms were added and in 1965 two more. These interim measures lasted until the completion of the second addition in October 1967.

This final addition, with D. N. Chapman acting for his second time as architect but wit Stewart and Hinan as contractors completed the present structure. Seven new classrooms were added together with a new cafeteria, a new library, a large group instruction room, a gymnasium, staff rooms, storage facilities and alteration to the existing building which established adequate guidance department facilities.

Since the final addition was completed in Confederation Year a Centennial Capsule was buried under a stone chair in the courtyard of the library. It contained a copy of the Official School Opening Programme, staff and student lists and other data. It was due to be opened in 1987.

Earl K. Raham, chairman of the Stamford District Board of Education, appointed Mr. W. E. Dewar, then Vice Principal of A. N. Myer Secondary School as Westlane’s first principal teacher.

Mr. Dewar served from 1960 until June 1970 and superintended the school through all its building programmes.